valYOU!
PATCH PROGRAM
Created by Girl Scouts of Maine
with the support of the WAGE Project and The Somers Foundation
PURPOSE:
To help Girl Scout Brownies build a sense of equality and self-worth. Activities focus on valuing self,
beginning to learn negotiation skills, learning about the value of money and savings, and goal setting.
Please complete all of the following activities.
DISCOVER:
1. Choose one of the following two activities:
☙ Pennies vs. Dollars
Materials: 100 pennies
1 one dollar bill
Put the 100 pennies in a pile on a surface and place the dollar bill nearby. Ask the girls about what is
similar about the two? What is different? Write their answers and discuss. One question to ask is if the
girls think that it would be fair for their brothers to get one dollar and for them to get 77 pennies for doing
the same chore. (The wage gap is the difference between the wages of women and men. On average,
full-time working women still get paid only 77 cents for each dollar full-time working men get paid [www.
wageproject.org].)
☙ Grocery Store Field Trip
Go on a field trip to a grocery store. Have the girls look around and answer: What could $5.00 buy? Is it
healthy?
2. Choose one of the following two activities:
☙ The Value of You
Materials:
three balls of yarn in different colors
Have the group stand in a circle. Starting with a single ball of yarn, explain that the yarn will be tossed
from person to person (not between people who are standing immediately next to each other) in the
circle. Before the yarn ball is tossed, the “tosser” will hold on to the yarn and then toss the ball. When the
next person receives the yarn, they will answer the question (see below) and repeat the process until all
have received the ball and a web has been created. Repeat this web creation with two other balls of yarn
so at the end of the activity there will be a multi-colored, multi-layered web of connection.
For each ball of yarn, the receiver will answer one question:
1. What is special about your appearance?
2. What do you do well?
3. What can you teach someone?
Before the group releases the yarn, have every other person drop their connection and to see how it
decreases the web’s beauty. The purpose of this activity is to help illustrate how important, talented, and
unique each individual is and to make visual the connections we all have to each other.
☙ Talent Show
Discuss what talents are with the troop/group. Plan a troop/group talent show in which all the girls can
participate. This may include traditional talent show activities such as performing arts as well as poetry
reading, sports skills, and visual art sharing. The show may be as simple or detailed as the girls would like
and may be performed for each other or for invited guests.
CONNECT
1. Please complete the following two activities:
☙ Making My Own Decisions
Materials:
a sheet of pictures of items children want/need to live on an island for a week
(optional, see Addendum A)
If desired, give each girl a copy of the pictures sheet, so they can mark the items they want to take with
them (no more than ten). Alternatively, ask each girl to write down ten items she would take with her if
she were to be stuck on an undeveloped island for a week. After each girl has decided what she would
take for the island, bring the participants back together and have them split into equal groups of three
or four girls per group. In their groups and using the picture sheets they have already marked or their
written lists, the girls need to negotiate what ten items the whole group is going to take to the island.
Finally, have the groups share what they plan to take. Discuss needs versus wants. Ask: Would you be
able to eat and drink? Would you be comfortable? Where would you sleep? Also ask: Was it more difficult
to decide what to bring on your own or in a group? Why was it more difficult? What did you learn about
working with others? Did you all agree on all ten items or did you have to compromise?
☙ Prices vs. Priceless
Materials:
item cards (see Addendum B)
large sheet of paper
rolls of pennies
Divide the girls into groups of three or four. Give each group a set of item cards. Have each group work
together to prioritize what is important. (Perspectives may vary within each group, but this will give girls
the opportunity to negotiate and compromise.) Discuss as a whole troop about what they thought was
most important and why. Following the discussion, give each small group a roll of pennies and instruct
them to place monetary value on each of the items from their previous prioritized list; discuss as a whole
group about what they discover in doing this exercise. Ask: What is most valuable? Was it the same for
everyone? How did you decide how much something was worth? Are tangible or intangible items more
valuable?
TAKE ACTION
1. Choose one of the following two activities:
☙ Goal Boxes: Spending, Saving, and Sharing
Materials:
cardstock
scissors
tape
writing utensils
art supplies (markers, etc)
box pattern (Addendum C)
Discussion: Ask the girls what they would do if they got $100.00 today. List their responses. There are
three major things that can be done with money; it can be spent, saved, and shared. What are examples
of each category? What is the importance of each?
After the discussion, have each girl make three goal boxes: one for spending, one for saving, and one for
sharing, and affix them together. Also, have each girl come up with a spending goal, a sharing goal, and a
savings goal to write on the box. They may also decorate their boxes.
Talk about how the girls might earn money toward their goals. This can also move into a discussion about
troop finances and troop goals.
☙ Talent Share
Talk with the group about needs in the community. What can they do to help? Talk about the value of
giving time to the community and choose a community service project to help others or participate in a
council-sponsored community service program.
2. Please complete the following activitiy:
Negotiating
Materials:
paper bag
negotiation scenarios (Addendum D)
Cut and put the scenarios in a paper bag. Have girls pair up, and have each pair pull a scenario out of
the bag. Give them time to figure out who will be what role and how they will accomplish the listed goal
before acting them out for the rest of the group. Make sure that each girl gets the opportunity to be the
negotiator.
Ask: Was it difficult to ask for what you wanted? How did you try to convince the other person? Did you
get what you wanted? Was it a variation of what you argued for? Was it more difficult to try to convince
the other person or to be convinced? To see one or both sides?
For additional activities in financial literacy, see the Brownie Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouts. Looking for self
esteem and awareness activities for Brownies? Check out the World of Girls journey.
Questions? Comments?
Contact the Project Manager at 1-888-922-4763 (toll free in Maine only) or (207) 989-7474.
Patches are available at the Girl Scouts of Maine Council Shops in Bangor and South Portland.
ADDENDUM A
ADDENDUM B
HUGS AND KISSES
CELL PHONE
MOVIES
VIDEO GAMES
FRIENDS
NEW TOYS
FAMILY
MUSIC
YOURSELF
PLAYING
READING
CLOTHING
FOOD
PETS
HELPING
BEING OUTSIDE
VACATIONS
© 2008 Mirkwood Designs
ADDENDUM C
ADDENDUM D
You want to stay up past your usual bedtime to watch a TV show. How would you try to
convince your parents to let you stay up later?
You always have to take out the trash and you’d much rather do the dishes as a chore
at home. Your brother usually does the dishes. How do you try to convince him to trade
chores with you?
You want to borrow a toy from your sister. How do you try to get her to let you borrow it?
Every girl in your class at school has her ears pierced, and you’d really like to get your
ears pierced, too. How would you try to convince your parents to let you do so?
Your best friend is having a sleepover. You have never been to one before, but you
really want to go. How do you try to convince your parents to let you go?
You are out shopping with your parents, and you see a shirt that you really want. How
do you try to convince them that it should be yours?
You are only allowed to be on the computer for half hour, and you really want to spend
more time on the computer. How do you try to convince your parents to let you use the
computer for a longer amount of time?
Your friend is having a sledding party at the same time as your older sister’s basketball
game. Your parents want you to go to your sister’s game, but you would like to go
sledding. How do you try to convince your parents to let you go sledding?